The National Sirex Coordination Committee has responsibilities to maintain the effectiveness of the components of the biocontrol system operating in Australia.\u00a0 This involves monitoring of sirex levels in the field and review of\u00a0field\u00a0 and laboratory methodologies which may influence biocontrol success.<\/p>\n
Recent research intitatives include:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Improvement of nematode rearing practices<\/p>\n This project has enabled delivery to field operations of superior quality nematodes which are capable of being held under refrigeration for up to one week. This has been achieved by enhanced filtration techniques during packaging, and is now current practice for our nematode supplier Ecogrow.<\/p>\n 2. Investigation of the genetic\u00a0variation within nematodes across Australia.\u00a0 The Kamona strain has higher infectivity rates than many other wild strains.\u00a0 The effectiveness of the NSCC recommendation to swamp wild strains with Kamona strain is still to be established.\u00a0 Work is ongoing.<\/p>\n 3. Evaluation of interactions between\u00a0bark beetles (Ips grandicollis) and\u00a0sirex and its biocontrol agents. This ARC linkage project was conducted in conjunction with Charles Sturt University, and demonstrated that the sirex fungus (Amylosterum sp<\/em>) and the ips fungus (Ophiostoma ips<\/em>) are not compatable.\u00a0 This results in interrupted movement of nematodes within ips infested trees.\u00a0 This research has implications for the timing of installation of trap trees for sirex detection and inoculation.<\/p>\n 4. Sirex has until this time been largely confined to southern Australian radiata pine plantations. As sirex are now being found in radiata pine plantations in Queensland, there is concern that large areas of suptropical pines may be susceptible to sirex, and there is also concern that the biocontrol agents which have been effective in southern Australia may not be as effective under sub tropical climates.\u00a0 This work is ongoing in conjunction with University of Sunshine Coast and DAFF Queensland.<\/p>\n Recent publications by NSCC partners:<\/strong><\/p>\n Nahrung HF, Ramsden MJ & Griffiths MW (2015) Sirex woodwasp range expansion in Australia: performance\u00a0\u00a0and parasitism on two commercial pine species. Forestry,\u00a0 \u00a0DOI: 10.1093\/forestry\/cpv039<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Hayes RA, Griffiths MW & Nahrung HF (2015) Electrophysiological activity of the Sirex<\/i> noctilio<\/i> ovipositor: you know the drill? Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, Volume\u00a018: 165-168. DOI:\u00a0http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.aspen.2015.01.003<\/a><\/p>\n Fazila Y,\u00a0\u00a0Carnegie AJ,\u00a0Bedding RA,\u00a0\u00a0Bashford R,\u00a0\u00a0Nicol HI,\u00a0Gurr GM\u00a0(2014)\u00a0Effect of temperature on woodwasp (Sirex noctilio<\/em> F.) development and parasitism by the entomopathogenic nematode, Deladenus siricidicola<\/em>. Biological Control,<\/span>\u00a0Volume 79,<\/span>\u00a0 67\u201374 DOI: http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.biocontrol.2014.08.007<\/a><\/p>\n Fazila Y, Gurr GM,\u00a0Carnegie AJ,\u00a0Bedding RA,\u00a0Bashford R,\u00a0Gitau CW\u00a0 <\/span><\/sup>(2014) Biology of the bark beetle Ips grandicollis Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) and its arthropod, nematode and microbial associates: a review of management opportunities for Australia.\u00a0 Austral Entomology Volume 53 (3),\u00a0\u00a0298-316 DOI:\u00a010.1111\/aen.12077<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0Fazila Y,\u00a0Carnegie AJ,\u00a0Bashford R,\u00a0Bedding RA,\u00a0Nicol HI,\u00a0Gurr GM (2014) Bark beetle (Ips grandicollis<\/em>) disruption of woodwasp (Sirex noctilio<\/em>) biocontrol: direct and indirect mechanisms. \u00a0Forest Ecology and Management, Volume 323,\u00a098-104\u00a0DOI: 10.1016\/j.foreco.2014.03.009<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Gitau CW, Bashford R, Carnegie AJ & Gurr GM. 2013. A review of semiochemicals associated with bark beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) pests of coniferous trees: a focus on beetle interactions with other tree pests and their associates. Forest Ecology and Management<\/em> 297<\/strong>, 1\u201314.\u00a0DOI: 10.1016\/j.foreco.2013.02.019<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Gitau CW, Carnegie AJ, Nicol HI, Bashford R, Poyntere C, Gurr GM (2013) Incidence of Ips grandicollis<\/em> (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) in trap trees prepared for biological control of Sirex noctilio<\/em> (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in Australia: Influence of environment and\u00a0silviculture.\u00a0Forest Ecology and Management\u00a0<\/em>310<\/strong>, 865\u2013874.\u00a0DOI: 10.1016\/j.foreco.2013.09.035<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Yousuf F, Gurr GM, Carnegie AJ, Bedding RA, Bashford R, Gitau CW, Nicol HI\u00a02013. The bark beetle, Ips grandicollis<\/em>, disrupts biological control of the wood wasp, Sirex noctilio<\/em>, via fungal symbiont interactions. FEMS Microbiology Ecology<\/em>. DOI: 10.1111\/1574-6941.12267.<\/a><\/p>\n Carnegie AJ & Bashford R. 2012. Sirex<\/em> woodwasp in Australia: current management strategies, research and emerging issues. In:\u00a0The Sirex Woodwasp and Its Fungal Symbiont<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0(eds Slippers B, deGroot P, Wingfield MJ),\u00a0Springer, Dordrecht, the Netherlands.\u00a0175\u2013201.<\/p>\n Boissin\u00a0E,\u00a0Hurley\u00a0B,\u00a0Wingfield\u00a0MJ,\u00a0Vasaitis\u00a0R,\u00a0Stenlid\u00a0J,\u00a0Davis\u00a0C,\u00a0de\u00a0Groot\u00a0P,\u00a0Ahumada\u00a0R, Carnegie AJ, Goldarazena A, Klasmer P, Wermelinger B, Slippers B (2012) Retracing the routes of introduction of invasive species: the case of the Sirex noctilio<\/em> woodwasp. Molecular Ecology doi: 10.1111\/mec.12065<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bedding RA. 2009. Controlling the pine-killing woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, with nematodes. In: Use of Microbes for Control and Eradication of Invasive Arthropods (eds Hajek TR\u00a0,\u00a0Glare TR\u00a0&\u00a0O’Callaghan M), pp. 213\u2013235. Springer Science, Business Media B.V., Dordrecht, the Netherlands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The National Sirex Coordination Committee has responsibilities to maintain the effectiveness of the components of the biocontrol system operating in Australia.\u00a0 This involves monitoring of sirex levels in the field and review of\u00a0field\u00a0 and laboratory methodologies which may influence biocontrol … Continue reading